


an apple a day

by hyacinthis



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Bonding, Bullying, Character Study, Family Bonding, Father Son Bonding, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Light Angst, Moving, Nightmares, Therapy, father-son bonding, kind of?? idk if it’s completely a character study but i’m gonna mark it as one regardless, therapist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 00:36:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17570921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyacinthis/pseuds/hyacinthis
Summary: Every other Friday, Sal goes to therapy at two o’clock. So at one o’clock, every Friday, Henry picks him up and they make the hour long drive to his therapist’s office. That’s how it’s been for the past four and a half years and that’s how it’s going to be until they move.





	an apple a day

Sal started going to therapy at the ripe age of ten. As he inches closer and closer to his teenage years, his father just got more and more worried about the emotional state Sal might grow into. He was always a good kid, never showed signs of negative development. But Henry knew how hard it was to lose a mother. Not only that, but to _watch_ his mother die. He isn’t sure how much of it Sal remembers, but Henry remembers it clear as day.

As far as appointments went, Sal was always very patient. Sometimes he had to talk about things he didn’t want to talk about and other times he just didn’t want to go, he’d rather stay home and play with Gizmo than sit in an office for an hour. Henry knew he didn’t like taking off his prosthetic in front of his therapist, even though she was a very kind and gentle woman. The first time he had to take it off in front of her, he cried and cried and cried. Even when the session was over, he cried the whole way home.

Henry decided they were going to move when Sal was thirteen. He hasn’t planned on telling him for another year, he still had to find a house there anyways, but one day Sal had accidentally come across some online applications Henry was filling out for different houses. Sal didn’t say anything about it for a couple of months, but one night it came out while they were sitting at the table eating lasagna.

“Are we moving?” Sal had asked, playing with the strap on his prosthetic.

“What makes you think we are?” Henry had responded.

“I found some stuff in your office.” He admitted truthfully. “I promise, I wasn’t snooping. Gizmo lost his toy in there and we were trying to find it.”

“I didn’t think you were snooping, buddy, don’t worry.” He sighed, running his fingers through his thinning hair. “I just think it would be a good idea to move.”

“Why?”

“Well, there’s a lot of negative connotations with Jersey. Do you agree?” 

That was something Henry had learned from Sal’s therapist. Ask lots of questions, it would make Sal feel like he had more of a say. Henry wasn’t planning on staying in Jersey, he was hellbent on moving. So he had to make it seem like Sal had a say in it. Not that he didn’t value his son’s opinion, he did. But each day they remained in that house, Henry lost himself more and more.

“Yeah,” Sal had answered quietly, pulling his prosthetic into his lap.

“And I know you don’t like the school here. The other kids are mean to you and I don’t want you in an environment like that.”

“Okay…”

“And…” Henry sighed, thinking of a way to phrase his thoughts. “This house has a lot of your mother in it. Do you agree?”

Sal nodded wordlessly.

“I don’t want her death to control your life. I’m worried that if we stay here, in this house, in this town, in this state, that you might let it control you. And I don’t want that for you, Sal. I want you to grow and to be able to live your life like a teenage boy should.”

“Okay…” He repeated.

Henry went quiet for a second, staring at him. He reached over, holding out his hand to take one of Sal’s. Sal gently put his hand in his father’s and squeezed it, staring down at the prosthetic in his lap.

“But we won’t be moving anytime soon, buddy.” He followed up. “I was going to wait until you at least then fourteen and even then, I have to wait on applications for houses to get back to me. So you’ll still have a year here, maybe a little bit more. Sound okay?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. Henry remembers him pulling away from the table, holding his prosthetic to his chest. At thirteen, he still looked like a child. “I’m going to go to bed.”

“Buddy, it’s only seven o’clock. Are you sure you don’t want more to eat?”

“I’m sure.”

Nightmares were a normal occurrence for Sal. But that night, he woke up screaming and Henry had to sleep in his room with him.

Sal is almost fifteen. Four more months until his birthday. Henry is still trying to find a house out of state, unsure of where they’re even going to go yet. But they’re going to leave regardless. He’s recently sent in an application for an apartment in a town called Nockfell, but the landlord has yet to get back to them. It would be almost a thirteen hour drive, but Henry knows it’s going to be for the better. 

Since the night Sal found out they were moving, Henry is sure to show him the places he’s applied to. Sal gives his input on different houses and apartments, telling his father which one he would like better. Otherwise, they don’t talk about the move that’s yet to come. Or at least not like they used to. 

That Friday, Henry checks Sal out from school. Every other Friday, Sal goes to therapy at two o’clock. So at one o’clock, every Friday, Henry picks him up and they make the hour long drive to his therapist’s office. That’s how it’s been for the past four and a half years and that’s how it’s going to be until they move.

“How was school?” Henry asks as Sal buckles his seatbelt.

“Donnie and his friends called me a freak today.” Sal says, staring out the window. “They tried to rip off my prosthetic.”

“Did you tell a teacher?” Henry asks, visibly concerned.

“Yeah, I told Ms. Gentry. She sent my inside to sit with the school counselor and told me she would take Donnie and his friends to the principal.” Henry opens his mouth, but Sal starts to talk again before he can ask the question that’s on the tip of his tongue. “I don’t know if she did or didn’t take them to the office. But the school counselor gave me a stress wand.”

“Mm.” Henry nods. “Did you get to pick your color?”

“Mhm.”

“I’m guessing blue?”

“Mhm.”

Sometimes, Henry wishes he had sent Sal to a private school. All of the children at the school he went to were unnecessarily cruel to Sal and it made Henry fighting mad. But, then he reminds himself, that rich, private school kids wouldn’t be much better. If he wasn’t working all the time, he would homeschool Sal himself. But that isn’t an option, so he tries to supportive and take initiative when it needs to be taken. To say Henry has gone to Sal’s principal a few times is an understatement.

Henry gets out of the car first when they pull up to the office. Sal follows suit, moving a little slower then he usually does. Henry waits for him, frowning, then starts to walk once Sal is next to him.

“Are you feeling okay, bud?” Henry asks. “You seem a little sluggish today.”

“I had some really bad dreams last night. And when I woke up, I couldn’t talk or move but I saw stuff moving around in my room.” Henry frowns.

“I’m sorry, I wish you had told me. I wouldn’t have sent you to school, I would’ve let you rest.”

“It’s okay, I miss a lot of school anyways.”

Henry signs Sal in then sits in a chair next to him, clipboard in hand. Abby, Sal’s therapist, has Henry fill out a form every time they come in. It’s all about Sal. His behavior at home, how he’s doing in school, appetite, sleep schedule, and all other kinds of things. But, Henry doesn’t mind. Anything to ensure that his Sal is okay.

Once Abby comes out to greet Sal, she takes the paper with her. As she closes the door, Henry can see Sal start to unbuckle his prosthetic. He knows it’s uncomfortable for him, but he’s a good sport about it. Abby tells him that she does it so he can learn about environments he feels safe enough to take his prosthetic in. For the most part, he thinks Sal feels pretty comfortable there.

For the next hour and a half, Henry goes back and forth between reading magazines and politely socializing with the receptionist. He tells her about the upcoming move they’re getting ready to take. The receptionist is sad to see them go, but understands that it’s no longer a healthy environment for the two of them.

After Sal comes out, Abby beckons Henry into her office just to touch base. She greets him kindly with a warm smile and they walk back to her office.

“Would you like a cup of tea, Mr. Fisher?” She asks.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you, though.”

“Sal tells me the two of you are getting ready to move. That must be very exciting.”

“Yeah,” he smiles some. “I’m hoping that’s how he’s taking it.”

“He’s eager to move.” She says, slipping on her glasses to look down at the notes she’s taken this session. “More eager than you know, I believe.”

“That’s good to hear. He doesn’t like to talk about it much.”

“As eager as he is, I’m worried that it’s taking a sort of toll on his emotional health.” She frowns. “He’s told me that he’s started to disassociate from himself more and more. He says that sometimes he’ll be at school and then hours later he’ll be in bed and he won’t even remember his day.” Henry frowns. “It’s nothing to worry about, I’m sure you know that he disassociates.”

“Yes, I remember talking about it shortly after I started bringing him.”

“He says that when he disassociates he’s floats in some sort of white abyss. That’s the only way he could describe it.” She says. “Point is, don’t worry too much but be sure to keep an eye on him.”

“Got it.”

“Is he still having trouble in school? He didn’t want to talk to me about it today.”

“Yes, he is. He tells teachers and staff but they fail to do anything about it. It drives me nuts.”

“I understand. Especially with a good kid like Sal.” She takes off her glasses and pushes some long hair from her face. “He said his nightmares have been getting worse.”

“He’s told me the same thing.”

“I think that might be because of the move you two are getting ready to make. Between the move and the trouble at school, I think it’s putting him in a very emotionally vulnerable state. He hasn’t expressed any suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming himself, so you don’t need to worry about anything like that.”

“What should I do?” Henry asks, brows furrowed.

“I’m going to fax an excuse to his school,” she says. “One week, I can’t do anymore than that. But I want to give him some time to recharge himself and his emotions. It’s hard going to school every day when people keep wanting to put him down.”

“Yeah.”

“So just make sure he gets plenty of rest, make sure he takes care of himself. I’m giving him a week to pull himself back into his feet.” She sighs softly, then smiles a little. “Are his migraines still bad?”

“He only gets them once a week now, sometimes every two weeks.”

“Good. And he’s taking his medicine for his migraines?”

“Yes.”

“As well as his antidepressants and anxiety medication?”

“Yes.”

“Good, make sure he doesn’t stop taking those.” She says. “One more thing before we go, if you don’t mind.”

“No, of course not.”

“Sal is a brilliant young man and I know he’s going to do just fine on his own. But, I think he should continue to seek therapy after the two of you move. Once you’ve found a place to live, I’d be more than happy to find him therapist in that area. If that’s something you’d want, that is.”

“I’d appreciate that, but…” Henry says. “Do you think he’d do alright adjusting to an entirely new therapist? We know how long it took him to adjust to you.”

“That’s a valid concern.” She says. “But, I think it would benefit him. Transferring from one therapist to a different therapist isn’t going to bother him too much.”

“Alright.”

“And if he absolutely cannot adjust to a new therapist, I’m more than happy to continue or sessions via video chats.”

“Thank you, Abby. That means a lot.”

“It’s no problem. Sal has been a patient of mine for so long, I figured it’s the least I could do.”

They discuss Sal again for a few more minutes, just general check up things like his grades and appetite, things of that sort. After about ten minutes, they both stand and Henry walks back out into the waiting room. Sal is sitting in his chair, playing with his stress wand as he does. He looks up when his father comes in, then waves goodbye to Abby as he stands.

“You ready, bud?” Henry asks.

Sal nods and walks towards the door, opening it then walking out with his father. He puts his stress wand in his pocket then follows Henry out to the car. He buckles his seatbelt and pulls his backpack up into his lap.

“Are you hungry? I could pick us up some food.”

“Sure.” Sal says.

They pick up some burgers from a nearby fast food stop and both of them decide to wait until they get home to eat it. They sit in silence for most of the way home, Henry occasionally sending worried glances Sal’s way.

Once they get home, they both sit down at the table and unpack their meals. Sal cuts his burgers into smaller bites to make it easier to eat, then unbuckles his prosthetic.

“So, how was therapy?” Henry asks conversationally.

“Good.” He says. “Abby said she thinks moving is a good idea.”

“I’m glad, I was worried I might have been the only one.”

Sal smiles a little, then eats a couple of french fries. He takes a few drinks from the milkshake Henry got him, then turns his attention back to his burger bites.

“She and I talked about finding you another therapist once we move.”

Sal freezes for a second, letting the words sink in. A new therapist would be a lot to handle. A new house and neighborhood and school were already a lot. Plus a new therapist.

“I dunno.” Sal shrugs. 

“I think it would be a good idea.” Henry says, smiling a little.

“I guess it just depends where I am emotionally when we move…” Sal goes quiet for a second. “Would we still be able to even afford a therapist?”

“Yes, of course.” Henry says. Their insurance has them covered. 

“I don’t know.” Sal sighs. “I feel like we could save a lot of time and energy if I just got a diary or something.”

Henry reaches over and gently squeezes his hand before leaning back again.

“We’ll just see where we are when we move, okay?”

“Okay.”

They get the letter shortly after Sal’s birthday from the landlord in Nockfell, telling them that they’ve been accepted to live in their apartment building. The letter said that by the beginning of February, the apartment would be ready to move in to. 

Sal attends his last therapy session with Abby on January twenty-sixth. He and Henry are set to move the following Tuesday. At the end of their session, Abby gives Henry a list of therapists in he Nockfell area. Complete with names, phone numbers, and addresses.

“And remember,” she says to both of them. “If none of those are available or you’re just not comfortable, just give me a call and we can work something out.”

“Yes ma’am.” Sal says with a nod.

“Well, Sal,” she smiles. “If I don’t ever hear from you again, it’s been a pleasure being your therapist. And I hope that you thrive in life.”

“Thank you,” he smiles.

“Seriously, thank you, Abby. For everything.”

Sal cries on the car ride home that day for reasons he can’t really explain. He doesn’t want to admit that he’s going to miss her, but he is. He and his dad sit on the couch watching old sitcoms to try and cheer Sal up. That night, he wakes up screaming and Henry carries him into his room to stay there for the night.

After never hearing from the Fishers again, Abby assumes that Sal had found a therapist he liked enough to stick with, which makes her happy. She didn’t think about Sal too often, occasionally he would cross her mind and she wondered how the father and son were doing. 

Ten years later, after a long day of work, Abby sits down on the couch and turns on the news. She’s physically ill as the news unravels the horrific case of The Sally Face Killer, her former patient, Sal Fisher.

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact: my therapist’s name is abby lmaoo.   
> idk where i was rly planning on going with this, i just wanted to write something abt sal and his dad and also therapy?? idk  
> anyways, if y’all enjoyed this pretty please leave me some comments!! i’ve been getting some really nice ones lately and they make me super happy. i love hearing feed back!  
> hope you guys enjoyed <3


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